Chain-boot for automobiles.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1 903. c. G. FISHER. 0mm BOOTIFOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLIOATIOJI FILED FEB. 80, 1908.

no menu.

UNITED STATES V Patented June 30, 1963.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHIAIN-BOOYT FORIAUTOMOBILES;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,536, dated jUJJ 30, 1903.

Application filed February 20, 1902. Serial No. 144,315. (Nb model.)

To all whom, it may concern: Be it known that I, CARL G. FISHER, of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Chain-Boot for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a practical and efficient boot for automobiles. Such boot is for covering and protecting the driving mechanism of the automobile where it is exposed, and it is so arranged that it permits the operation of the means for controlling a brake mechanism or shifting-gear, and also the device may be readily removed or put in place, and when in place will not interfere with the operation of any part of the machine.

The nature of this boot and its combination with automobiles will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bootand the parts to which it is attached, with the bottom of the body of the automobile and other parts being in vertical section. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the rear and'right-hand portion of Fig. 1 on a smaller scale. plan view of the back of the boot when it' is opened out. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

is the bottom of the body of thevehicle or part of the framework thereof. To it the crossbar 11 is secured and also a brake-band 12.

13 is the rear axle of the vehicle, on which a sleeve 14 ismounted that carries the metal gear-case 15. Within the metal gear case sprocket-wheels are mounted on the shaft 13, the sprocket-wheels not being herein shown, audit is driven by the sprocket-chain 16, running from another sprocket-chain, 47, on the shaft 17. The shaft 17 is driven by the engine and has secured on it, besides the sprocketwheel, a brake-wheel 18. The brake-band 12, suspended from the bottom of the body of the vehicle, surrounds this brake-wheel 18, and suitable means 48 are provided for tightening the brake-band. The reason that the brakeband is here set forth is because the boot is attached to it. This band is a split ring with a set screw 19 for adjusting its proximity to" Fig. 3 is the wheel it surrounds, and said setsorew ex tends loosely through the left car 20 on said band and screws through the other ear and may be drawn tight by rod 48.

The boot is made of thick leather and extends vertically about the chain. At the rear end it is considerably widened and at the other end comparatively narrow, and also the entire boot when spread out has the tapering form shown in Fig. 3, inasmuch as the gear on which the upper end of the sprocket-chain runs is much smaller than the gear at the other end.

This boot as made herein consists of a main long section 21, made tapering with its large end curved convex, and along each side of the large end are secured the leather extensions or flaps 22 and These flaps overlap each other and extend over the upper part of the same mechanism. The flap 22 has buckles 24 secured to it to receive the straps 25 of flap 23. 26, that registers with each other when they are brought in place and through which the mechanism 28 extends for operating the rear brake. As shown here, it has a lever op erated by the connecting-rod 29. The boot is cut out with a slit from the openings 26 to the edge to form flaps to pass over the lever 28. A strap 30, secured to the rear end of the flap 23 on top when folded, passes around and fits on the periphery of the gear-case 15 and is secured at the lower end by the buckle 24 to the bottom or m'ainpiece 21 of the boot. The upper front portion of the rear end of the boot when folded is held in place by a strap 32, secured on theflap 22, that passes through the ring 33 on the cross-bar 11 of the framework and is fastened to the buckle 24 on the flap 23.

The smaller end of the boot when folded has its edges drawn toward each other around the lower portion of the chain by thestraps 35, connecting with the ,buckles 36. The inner extreme end of the lower part ofthe boot is held in position-by the strap 37 ,e'xtending through the brake-band 12 between the ears 20, and issecured to the buckle 38. It is thus seen that this boot has a long under por-' tion, which prevents mud being thrown up Each flap has a keyhole-shaped opening IOC into the mechanism, such under portion ex- 7 tending full length of the chain. The upper portion of the boot extends about one-half the length of the lower portion and covers the chain and the gearing within such portion of the boot. The upper inner portion of the chain is not covered by the boot, inasmuch as it is nearer the bottom of the vehicle-body and is protected from mud and the like by the lower part of the boot being beneath it. The right-hand end of the boot that fits next to the vehicle-axle has its lower and upper ends extended outward somewhat or its middle portion or sides made concave, so that it will envelop as much of the gear-case 15 as possible and make that portion of the mechanism tightly enveloped.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1's- 1. The combination with an automobile provided with a suitable power transmitting means, agear-case surrounding the axle of the vehicle, a brake-band connected with the body of the vehicle and surrounding the driving-shaft, and a cross-bar intermediate said gear-case, of a boot made of flexible material with the sides adapted to be folded up over said power-transmittin g mechanism, and means on the boot for securing the same to said gearcase, brake-band, and cross-bar for holding the boot in place.

2. The combinationwith an automobile pro- Videdwith suitable power-transmittin g means and suitable brake mechanism, of a boot formed of flexible material with the sides thereof adapted to be folded up over said power-transmitting mechanism, means for detachably connecting said boot to stationary parts of the vehicle, means for detachably securing the sides of said boot together when folded, and openings in the overlapping sides of said boot with slits extending therefrom to the edges of the boot for readily fitting the same over the brake mechanism.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

oAR'L e. FISHER.

\Vitnesses:

V. II. Looxwoon, NELnIE ALLEMONG. 

